DRIVE AWAY PRICE$27,378

4.9

81kw

5

2018 Mazda2 GT. Photo: Supplied

13 Mar 2018

What city car should I buy?

What city car should I buy?

The dilemma

Leigh loves his 2013 Mazda6 but wants to downsize into something that soaks up less space and resources while still tickling his emotional bone. Mazda’s 2 seems an obvious choice but he’s tempted by Suzuki’s Swift, or is there something else worth considering? He’s been burnt by Peugeots and had trouble with his previous car, a Volkswagen Passat, so isn’t interested in European options.

The budget

About $25,000

The shortlist

Ditch the Ford Fiesta, Peugeot 208, Renault Clio, Volkswagen Polo and other Europeans from the light-car equation and you aren’t left with many options.

And what ones are left kicking around don’t cut it with the Mazda and Suzuki against our criteria. Kia’s Rio is generally impressive but knocked back by a lacklustre drivetrain. Honda’s Jazz is cleverly packaged but ‘meh’ to look at and drive. Toyota’s Yaris and Hyundai’s Accent are even more aligned to buyers with strictly A-to-B priorities.

We’ll need to think outside the box, then, if we’re to find a worthy alternative in this budget range.

Mazda2 GT, from $21,680

This Mazda is slickly presented and its sprightly 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine and poised handling make it a hoot to drive.

It does the sensible stuff, too, with its impressive thrift (4.9-5.2L/100km), lifetime fixed-price servicing deal, yearly/10,000km service intervals and comprehensive safety fitout, which includes auto emergency braking, blindspot warnings, reversing camera and other tricks. This topline model’s standard serve includes leather, sat-nav, head-up display, internet radio and other luxuries.

But the 2 falls well short of light-car benchmarks for back-seat and boot space (250 litres). It isn’t as hushed – both in terms of engine and road noise – as many rivals and misses out on one increasingly must-have piece of technology, smartphone integration.

This Suzuki, like the Mazda, isn’t that roomy in the back seat or boot (242 litres). Its cabin doesn’t feel quite as classy as its rival owing to some cheap-looking plastics.

Its fixed-price servicing regime expires after five years/100,000km and has six-monthly/10,000km intervals, and it’s the only car here without a manual-gearbox option.

But the Swift’s 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo engine is more flexible and easygoing than the 2’s bigger donk (it cranks out 160Nm of torque between 1500-4000rpm versus the Mazda’s 141Nm at 4000rpm) and similarly light on fuel (5.1L/100km).

It looks good and drives with real flair but its engine makes less of a racket than the 2’s. Its comprehensive fitout includes sat-nav, auto emergency braking, active cruise control, lane-departure/blindspot warnings and reversing camera, plus this group’s only smartphone integration.

Okay, this is an SUV, not a light hatch, and there won’t be an awful lot to sift from on the used-car lot.

Its 1.2-litre turbo four-cylinder engine is noticeably light on the fizz on the open road – especially in CVT auto form – and drinks more than its rivals here (6.3-6.5L/100km). Its swoopy body makes it hard to see out of and Toyota’s five-year/75,000km fixed-price servicing deal isn’t a benchmark here.

But the turbo donk’s good torque (185Nm between 1500-4000rpm) makes it a flexible, easygoing urban performer and its road manners combine agile, surefooted handling with a pampering ride. It ticks the style box, feels classy inside and serves up more back-seat and boot space (377 litres) than its rivals here.

Even the lowliest version has sat-nav, autonomous emergency braking, active cruise control and reversing camera, and it asks for this group’s least frequent servicing (yearly/15,000km).

The Toyota, being an SUV and only available as a used buy at this budget, can’t win this contest but it’s city-friendly, stylish, fun to drive and easy to own. If Leigh found the 2 or Swift just weren’t to his taste, he should give it a try.

Splitting the 2 and Swift is tough. The former is more polished, has better servicing credentials and the potentially significant tempter of a manual box. The latter has the better engine and compelling spec advantages such as smartphone integration.

Add up all the points and it’s the Mazda that scores ever so marginally higher but if Leigh decided the Suzuki was more for him he wouldn’t get an argument from us. It’s a no-lose situation.

* Values are estimates provided by Redbook based on an example averaging up to 20,000km per annum and in a well-maintained condition relevant to its age.